Manager, Supplier Quality

Anduril Anduril · Defense · Costa Mesa, CA · Hardware Engineering : Quality

Manager for Supplier Quality Engineering (SQE) at Anduril, a defense technology company. The role focuses on developing and executing processes for high-quality precision machined parts, managing supplier relationships, and driving continuous improvement in supplier performance. Responsibilities include collaborating with design and supply chain teams, overseeing supplier qualification, risk mitigation, and team leadership.

What you'd actually do

  1. Collaborate with design teams to support the product development process, provide design for manufacturability feedback, and generate product data for precision mechanical parts that lead to supplier quality success.
  2. Leverage your knowledge and expertise of machining, molding, additive manufacturing, fabrication, and inspection/measurement to elevate the internal Anduril design process by providing leadership managing supplier technical risks from proof-of-concept prototypes to scaled volume production.
  3. Partner with supply chain to deliver predictable supply and overall supplier performance for cost, quality, delivery, and fulfillment of production needs by managing alignment between product requirements and supplier capabilities.
  4. Drive supplier quality with product quality engineering and program management throughout the product development process through review, validation, and qualification of precision components and mechanical sub-assemblies.
  5. Own the mitigation of supplier risk and improvement of quality and reliability by directing supplier qualification activities (audit, FAIR, PPAP) to meet compliance in accordance with program and product requirements across the product lifecycle.

Skills

Required

  • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or similar technical field.
  • Minimum of 10 years of supplier or operations quality management.
  • Experience with producing precision mechanical parts for aerospace or defense.
  • Experience evaluating and auditing suppliers and manufacturing processes.
  • Experience performing First Article Inspection to AS9102 industry standard and ensuring suppliers have control plans and inspection processes that are capable of meeting product requirements.
  • Experience with driving supplier performance and evaluation.
  • Working knowledge of AS9100 / ISO9001based Quality Management System requirements.
  • Working knowledge of quality methodologies such as Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) elements such as Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA), and Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T).
  • A strong ownership mindset with demonstrated capability to take projects from start to completion.
  • Analytical skills and experience with data mining, data quality, metrics generation, issue management systems, and statistical analysis tools.
  • Must be able to travel up to 10% of the time to suppliers and manufacturing locations.

Nice to have

  • AS9100 Lead / Internal Auditor Certification is a plus.
  • Master’s degree in a technical field
  • Experience in creating training plans, staffing plans, and hiring plans.
  • Experience in scaling supplier capabilities and quality from prototype and engineering validation parts to low rate production to high rate production.
  • Experience managing source inspection at mechanical manufacturing suppliers, aerospace and defense suppliers is a plus.
  • Experience managing special processes including heat treatment, polishing, anodize, coating and paint.
  • Experience in creating material and process specifications
  • Experience with government contracts and MIL standard requirements
  • Experience with Teamcenter, NX, Oracle/Netsuite, Jira, and Foundry

What the JD emphasized

  • Must be able to obtain and hold a U.S. TS/SCI security clearance